diff --git a/tools/perf/util/cache.h b/tools/perf/util/cache.h
index fbcca21d66ab..c861373aaed3 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/cache.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/cache.h
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ extern const char *perf_config_dirname(const char *, const char *);
 
 /* pager.c */
 extern void setup_pager(void);
-extern const char *pager_program;
 extern int pager_in_use(void);
 extern int pager_use_color;
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/environment.c b/tools/perf/util/environment.c
index 275b0ee345f5..7405123692f1 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/environment.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/environment.c
@@ -5,5 +5,4 @@
  */
 #include "cache.h"
 
-const char *pager_program;
 int pager_use_color = 1;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/pager.c b/tools/perf/util/pager.c
index 31ee02d4e988..53ef006a951c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/pager.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/pager.c
@@ -50,11 +50,6 @@ void setup_pager(void)
 
 	if (!isatty(1))
 		return;
-	if (!pager) {
-		if (!pager_program)
-			perf_config(perf_default_config, NULL);
-		pager = pager_program;
-	}
 	if (!pager)
 		pager = getenv("PAGER");
 	if (!(pager || access("/usr/bin/pager", X_OK)))